Machine for tying casings



Feb. 28, 1961 H. Kl-:LEM 2,972,747

MACHINE FOR TYING CASINGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 19, 1958 INVENTOR.Howard K elem BY v 7A Tomvfy Feb.28, 1961 H. KELEM 2,972,747

MACHINE FOR TYING CASINGS INVENTOR. Howard K elem BY a z 7 A TORNEYUnited States Patent() 2,972,741 e MACHINE Fon TYING cAsINGs HowardKelem, Far Rockaway,.N.Y. Global Indusgis# )Machinery Corp., 686 HenrySt., Brooklyn 31,

Filed Aug. 19,1958, Ser. No. 755,945

18 Claims. (Cl. 1-95) This invention relates to machines for applying ametallic fastener to the `otherwise open end of a food holding casingand particularly to that type capable vof tying and sealing the twistedor pleated end portion .of a filled or empty casing.

K The invention contemplates the provision vof a simple machine adaptedto compact an end portion, to feed automatically initially U-shapedmetallic fasteners around and out o-f contact with the compacted casing.end portion, then to bring the squared olf end edges of the fastenerinto pressed fitted contact with each other to form a cylindrical ringaro-und said end portion, and finally to indent the fastener to anextent sufficient to effect a permanent seal and to attach the fastenerimmovably to the casing end portion.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a fastener applyingmachine wherein the operator'need merely supply fasteners to a hopperand insert the compressed `or crimped casing end into the machine andoperate a handle control to a valve, to seal adequately casing made of aconsiderable variety of materials and in a considerable range of sizeswithout danger of damaging casings even of fragile materials such ascellulose, the machine being adjustable to conform to the particulartype of casing operated upon.

The invention further contemplates the provision lof simple anddependable air operated means for aligning in a row and for feedingfasteners automatically to the setting and indenting means therefor, aswell as means for quickly and 'easily adjusting the depth of the indentsectional view of the machine taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 3 is'a sideelevational view of the fastener hopper and feed chute with partsbrokenaway.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view similar to Fig. 1showing a somewhat advanced position of the driver. Fig. 5 is a verticalsectional view of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is 'a view similar to Fig. 4 of the driver, indenter and anvil'showing the position of the parts during the compacting' of the `casingend and the beginning of the setting of the fastener. Y u

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the fastener end edges brought togetherand the fastener rbent into a ring.

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the Vfastener indented.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of therfastener in the ringlike stage of theapplication thereof shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a similar view of the indented fastener.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary elevational view of a casing showing the endedges of the fastener.

ice

Fig. 12 is a similar view showing the indent. V

Fig. 13 is an elevational view of the preferred form of an initiallyU-shaped fastener operated on by the machine.

Fig. 14 is a side elevational view thereof partly in section. v y

Figf'lS is a fragmentary side elevational view of the dial forindicating the adjustment of the depth of the ,indent in the fastenermade by the machine.

The machine is intended to operate preferably upo the initially U-shapedribbed sheet metal fastener 16 (Figs. 13-14)` a supply of which isinserted into a suitable hop-per which stacks the fasteners in a chuteand feeds them to a driver. Said fastener has spaced apart legs 17 and18 diverging toward the respective end edges 19 and 20 thereof. Each ofsaid end edges is yliat and square, lying in a plane perpendicular toboth faces of its leg. The .driver of the machine operates to bring saidedges into pressed abutting relation (Figs. 9 and l0) to form acylindrical ring around and out of Contact with the compactedcasing end,the ring having subustantially uninterrupted continuous inner and outersurfaces across said end edges. All other edges of the fastener,including the ribs, vare rounded to avoid pressing into, pinching orcutting fragilecasing material. After the formation ofthe ring, theindenter of the machine indents the fastener on the side opposite theabutting end edges. -By adjusting the depth of the indent 21 (Figs. l0and 12) the machine can operate effectively and safely on casingsy madeof cellulose or other materials which are easily damaged, or made ofpaper, cloth, polyethylene, fiber or any of the other materialscustomarily used to hold such food products as fresh or smoked meatsincluding hams, calas, Canadian bacon, or grease including lard, butter,margarine or the like, or poultry, cheese, fruit and vegetables.

The machine will now be described in detail.

On the relatively wide raised platform 22 forming the top of a box-likesupport, is fixed the anvil support 23 carrying the anvil which has theanvil cavity 24 therein. The cavity has a relatively wide mouth andoutwardly converging sides 25 joined by the cylindrical surface 26. Toreceive the ribs 27, 28 of the fastener 16 during the setting operation,the anvil is 'provided with upright slots 29, 29a (Fig. 2). A horizontalextension 30 on the anvil suppofrt provides a xed guide on which slidesthe horizontally reciprocating frame 31.

Cooperating'm'eans are provided on the fixed anvil support 23 andthereciprocating frame 31 to compact the casing end portion 32 and thento advance and bend the fastener. Said end portion, as is usual in thesealing or'tying of food casings, is iirst reduced quite substantiallyin diameter by twisting or pleating to compress it before it is insertedinto the machine. Thereafter it is inserted through the opening 33 tothe bottom edge 34 of said opening as formed by the projecting part 35(Fig. l) of each of the spaced apart side plates 36, 37 fastened to theopposite parallel faces of the anvil support (Fig. 2). forming theopening 33 each has 'a lower concave portion 38 and an upper convexportion 39 overhanging the portion 38 and part of the bottom 34.Cooperating with the fixed plates 36, 37 are the similar parallel spacedapart movable plates or plate-like extensions 40, 41 on the slidingframe 31. The upper part of the end edge of each plate 40, 41 is convexand overhangs the lower adjacent concave part 43. At the lower part ofeach of the plates `40 and 41 is the forward or outward projection, theupper horizontal edge 42 of which is coplanar with the bottom 34 of theopening 33 between the fixed and movable plates when said plates areseparated.

The inner edges of the ixed plates aora-vez As shown in Figs. 4-8, theupper parts 44 of the movable plates overlap the respective upper parts39 of the fixed plates 36, 37 in the most forward or advanced positionof the frame 31, while the edges 34 -and t2 form a support ofsubstantial area for the casing V.end portion. In said Vadvancedposition, the concave parts 38 and 43 are brought toward each other withthe end portion lof the ycasing therebetween. Said parts compact the'casing end to the required density and maintain 1t in its compactedcondition, as bestseen in Fig. 6, before the fastener is appliedthereto.

A horizon-tal groove 46 is made in the relatively thick forward part 45of the frame 31, in'which slides the fastener driver soon to bedescribed, while the frame itself slides on the xed extension 36 of theanvil support 23. To reciprocate the fram-e together with its sideplates, a link 47 is pivoted at one end 48 to the rear end of the frame(Fig. 1) and is pivoted at its other end to the lever 49 pivoted at 5t)to the channel S1 secured to the under face of the platform 22. At itslower end, the lever carries lthe roller 52 adapted to be engaged by thereciprocating piston rod 53 of the air cylinder 54. As said rod movesrearwardly, it pushes the roller 52 `toward the right as viewed in Fig.1, rotating the lever' e9 in a counter clockwise direction and drawingthe link 47 and the frame 31 toward the left until the end portion ofthe piston rod has passed the roller, Whereupon the frame is locked inits thus advanced position until the piston rod is retracted. In saidposition, the casing end portion 4is co-mpacted and held compacted.

Simultaneously, a fastener Vis advanced toward the left Vinto a position(Fig. 6) part way around and out of contact with Vthe casing end butready to be bent completely thereabout into the form of a ring. Theadvance A of the fastener is accomplished by the driver 60 reciproeating'horizontally in the groove 46 of and relatively to the frame 31. Asuitable cover plate 6 1 secured to the 4open side of =t-he frame (Fig.5) retains the driver in .its groove and permits access thereto whenremoved. The forward or left end of the driver is shaped concavely tofit the arcuate end portion of the fastener and is suitably slotted toreceive and to fit the ribs of the fastener deposited by the chute 62 inthe groove 46 in front of the driver. Said chute is arrangedsufficiently behind the opening 33 to permit said opening to be sub-.stantially closed by the overlapping plates 36, 40 and 37, 41, thereby'to compact the casing before the fastener reaches the casing end. Sincethe height of the concave parts 38 and 43 of the plates is less than theleastwidth of the space 63 between the legs 17, 18 of the fastener, I

the fastener does not touch the casing end until the ends of thefastener legs engage and are bent to a material extentby the convergingsides 25 of the anvil cavity 24. During the final part of the advance ofthe driver, the fastener legs follow the cylindrical surface 26 of theanvil cavity and are bent into corresponding cylindrical form (Fig. 7)with `the flat and squared end edges 19 and 20 thereof firmly pressedtogether and held in tight fitting abutting relation7 thereby to provideconcentric and substantially continuous and uninterrupted smoothcylindrical inner and outer surfaces on the resulting loose ring 64around the casting end.

The ring 64 is of course ineffective to maintain the casing endcompacted and sealed, for which reason the ring is indented and therebybrought into firmly pressed immovable engagement with the compactedcasing end to seal the casing. The means for indenting the ringcomprises the indenter 65 mounted for a limitedl reciprocation withinand relatively to the driver 6i), but recprocating as a unit therewithprior to the formation of the ring. The indenter is operated by the rack66 (Fig. l) secured thereto and meshing with the pinion 67 provided withthe lnon-radial slot 68 therein. Arranged to enter the slot and toengage the edge 69 thereofV is the roller 70 suitably mounted at anintermediate point of the piston rod 53 and rotating the pinion in acounterclo-ckwise direction on the rearward movement of the piston rod.The pinion drives the rack and the indenter forwardly or to the left asviewed in Fig. l. Through the medium of the spring 71, which is arrangedaround the indenter and which engages the rear end of the driver 6i),said driver is moved toward the left with the indenter as la unit, thespring being strong enough to insure such movement until the fastener isformed into the ring `64 bythe driver.

Since the driver moves a greater distance than that required for thecompacting of the casing end by the plates of the frame 31, thecompacting operation is substantially completed before the ring formingoperation, the frame 31, therack and the pinion moving as required forthat purpose. However, after the movements of the frame and driver havebeen completed and the end edges 19 and 20 of the fastener broughttogether, the force required to move the ydriver against the resistanceto Vdeformation of the ring 64 is greater than the resistance of thespring 71. Consequently, the indenter continues to move forwardlyrelatively to the driver and the frame, against said ring, therebycompressing the spring and forming the indent 21 between the ribs of thefastener at .a point opposite the abutting end edges 19, 2i?.

The depth of the indent depends on the size of the compacted casing endwithin the loose ring 64. Means are therefore provided to adjust theeffective stroke of the indenter to determine such depth. Said meanscornprises the rotatable cylindrical cam`75 (Fig. l) on the shaft 76 andserving as a stop to limit the travel of the piston rod rearwardlythereby limiting the forward move ment of the indenter into the ring. Avisible dial 77 on the shaft 76 (Fig. 15) and cooperating `scaleindicate the adjusted position of the cam and the depthvof the resultingindent. The maximum movement lof the indenter relatively to the driveris determined by the pin 78 (Fig. 4l) secured in and arrangedtransversely ofthe Slot 79 in the indenter and carried by the driver. Onthe retraction of the piston rod Within the air cylinder, the roller 52is released by the rod to free the lever 49 to rotate in a clockwisedirection toward the initial position thereof. The second roller 70engages the forward edge of the slot 68 of the pinion and rotates thepinion in a clockwise direction until it leaves the slot.v During theinitial part of the forward movement ofthe piston rod and the rack, thecompressed spring 71 is permitted to expand and to move the indentertoward'the right. When the indenter engages the pin 78, the indenter"and" driver move together until the head of the adjusting screw 80,projecting from the rear end of the indenter, strikes the frame 31. Thenthe frame moves with the indenter and driver as a unit toward the rightuntil the piston rod is completely retracted or the roller 70 leaves thepinion slot. Obviously, movement of the frame swings the lever 49 backinto its initial position ready for the repetition of the operation.

An important advantage of the roller-slot operation of the pinion is theincreasing pressure on the indenter and on the fastener during theindenting operation. In other words, the deeper the indent, the morepressure is exerted by the indenter to bend the initially arcuate end ofthe fastener into a reverse curve. Such increasing pressure is attainedlas the roller moves rearwardly and exerts a force horizontally againstthe edge of the pinion slot, the circumferential component of whichforce increases until the roller is below the center of the pinion.

The means for feeding fasteners tothe driver will now be described. Thefasteners are supplied to the xed hopper 81 within which is arranged thefixed inclined guide rod 82 adapted to fit theinside surface of thefastener. The fixed llpuight chute 62 extends upwardly toward the undersidey of the guide rod, the lower end edgevof whichl is in vsufficientlyspaced relation to the'adjacent hopper wall to permit the lowermostfastener of the row on the rod-tozslid'e off the rodinto the open top ofthe chute-if otherwise permitted to do so. However, the last fastener isnot permitted to drop directly into the chute. Simple means are providedto force the fastener to turn by gravity into the proper position to bestacked and fed for drivingby the driver. As best seen in Fig. 4,

said means comprises the plate, lip or projection 84 extending from thewall 85 of the chute and slightly overhanging the top opening of thechute. The lip is of suffrcient width to engage andto obstruct thedirectfall into the chute of the end edge portion as 19 of the leg as17v of the last fastener as the latter leaves the rod 82. As shown inFig. 4, the other leg 18 of the fastener, being in the open chute andunsupported, falls further further into the chute and the fastenerpivots about the edge 19 of the leg 17 as a fulcrum on the lip 84. Thefastener consequently turns through an` angle of about 90 into theposition shown wherein its longitudinal axis is horizontal, thetemporarily obstructed leg leaving thelipfduring the turn. The bottomfastener falls out of the chute into the adjacent opening 85 in theframe 31 and into the groove 46 of the frame in front of the retracteddriver as shown in Fig. 1.

A yieldable bevelled pin 86 serves to insure the maintenance of thelongitudinal axis of the fastener horizontal or parallel to the sides ofthe groove 46. Said pin is provided with a conical head which, in theretractedlor rearward position of the driver (Fig. l) projects into thegroove 46 into the path of the arcuate end portion of the fastenerwhereby said portion rests on the apex of the pin head in a properdriving position. As the driver advances to the position shown in Fig.4, the pin is depressed out of the way againstthe action of its spring87 which raises the pin again after the setting operation hasbeencompleted and the driver has been retracted to a point behind the pin.

To agitate the fasteners within the hopper so that a sufcient numberfall on to and stay on the guide rod, the exhaust blast-from the aircylinder is utilized. The exhaust is controlled by the relief port ofthe four-way valve 90 which port is connected by the pipe 91- (Fig. 2)to the bottom of the hopper. At each reciprocation of the piston of theair cylinder the blast blows the fasteners upwardly and a certain numberfall on the guide rod in the positions shown in Fig. 3. Air is suppliedto and exhausted from the forward side of the piston through the pipe 92which is alternately connectable tothe supply port and to the `reliefport of the valve 90 by Ia suitable manually operable handle or levernot shown and operating the valve. Similarly, the pipe 93 alternatelyconnects the rear side of the piston -to the supply port and to terelief port, while the pipe 94 supplies air under pressure to the valve90.

It will now be seen that the machine is simple and reliable, that it iscapable of compacting, tying and sealing the crimped end portions ofcasings of various materials and sizes without danger of damage to thecasing and by a simple adjustment `and that the intended purposes of theinvention have been adequately attained.

While a certain specific form of the invention has herein been shown anddescribed, various obvious changes may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit of the invention defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for compacting the end portion of a flexible casing andfor applying to said end portion a U-shaped fastener having a pair oflegs joined by an arcuate connecting portion, an anvil having a cavitytherein, the walls of the cavity comprising an uninterrupted cylindricalsurface joining a pair of converging at surfaces, means to compact saidend portion at a point in inward spaced relation to the cavity walls,means to advance the fastener into the cavity and to cooperate with thesurfaces of the cavity to bend the fastener into a closed ring aroundand in outward spaced relation to the compacted end portionv of thecasing and with the end edges of the legs in pressed abutting contact,said advanc-I ing means'comprising a driver, and an indenter slidablewithin and projectable out of the driver and against the connectingportion of the fastener to indent said portion.

2. The machine of claim l, means for feeding fasteners to the driverYcomprising a hopper, means for agitatingV the fasteners in the hopper,a rod for aligning the fasteners in a row, a chute communicating withthe hopper and adjacent the rod, and means for turning the fasteners asthe fasteners leave the rod and enter the chute.

3. In a machine `for applying a fastener to a casing, means forcompacting the end portion of a casing, means for advancing a U-shapedfastener having legs each ending in a flat edge to a position whereinthe legs are around and in outward and forward spaced relation to thecompacted casing end, fixed anvil means cooperating with the advancingmeans for bending the fastener into a closed ring around the casing endand for bringing the fiat end edges of the legs into coplanar pressedcontact with each other while the casing end at the front part thereofis in rearward spaced relation to the front part of the anvil, and meansfor indenting the ring concavcly outwardly at an area diametricallyopposite the kcoplanar end edges to secure the fastener in tight contactwith the compacted casing end.

4. In a machine for applying a fastener to a casing, means forcompacting the end portion ofa casing, means for advancing a U-shapedfastener having legs each ending in a flat edge to a position around`and in outward spaced relation to the compacted casing end and forbending the fastener into a closed ring Iaround the casing end bybringing flat end edges of the legs into pressed abutting relation, andmeans for indenting the ring to secure the fastener in tight contactwith the compacted casing end, the compacting means comprising a framehaving a longitudinal groove therein for the reception of the fastenerand having spaced apart side plates, and a fixed anvil support havingspaced apart side platesv arranged to be overlapped by the side platesof the frame on the advance of the frame, the plates being shaped toreceive the end portion of the casing therebetween on the retraction ofthe frame.

5. The machine of claim 4, the fastener advancing means comprising adriver carried by the frame yand slidable in the groove thereof, and theindenting means comprising an indenter carried by and slidable in thedriver.

6. In a machine for applying a fastener to a casing, means forcompacting the end portion of a casing, means for advancing a U-shapedfastener having legs each ending in a flat edge to a position around:and in out- Ward spaced relation to the compacted casing end and forbending the fastener into a closed ring around the casing end bybringing flat end edges of the legs into pressed abutting relation, andmeans for indenting the ring to secure the fastener in tight contactwith the compacted casing end, =a fastener hopper, a chute leading fromthe hopper to the fastener advancing means, means in the hopper foraligning fasteners in 'a row, means for turning the leading fastener ofthe row in the hopper about the end edge of one leg as a pivot and forrestraining the movement of said one leg as the fastener leaves thealigning means thereby permitting the fastener to turn and to drop bygravity out of the hopper and into the chute in a predeterminedposition.

7. In a machine for Kapplying a fastener to a casing, means forcompacting the end portion of a casing, means for advancing a U-shapedyfastener having legs each ending in a flat edge to a position around andin outward spaced relation to the compacted casing end and for bendingthe fastener into a closed ring around the casing end by bringing at endedges of the legs into pressed abutting relation, and means forindenting the ring to secure the fastener in tight contact with thecompacted casing end, a fastener hopper, the fastener advancing meansincluding a compressed air cylinder` agravar having ya reciprocatingpiston rod, and also including a fastener driver carried by andreciprocating with the cornpacting means, means operatively connectingthe piston rod to the driver, and means responsive to air exhausted fromthe cylinder for intermittently agitating the fasteners in the hopper.

8. In a machine for applying a fastener to a casing, a hopper forindependent and loose U-shaped fasteners each having a pair of legs, ahollowv chute extending within the hopper and having a passage thereinfor the reception of a row of aligned contacting fasteners, means forguiding the fastenersr in a row toward the chute,fastener-leg-obstructing means at the top of the chute to engage andhalt one leg only of the leading fastener of the row on the guidingmeans thereby to turn the fastener as the fastener leaves the guidingmeans and drops into the chute, means for advancing a fastener from thebottom of the chute, and means for first bending the fastener into acompletely closed and uninterrupted circular ring around the compactedend portion of a casing and for then indenting the ring convexlyinwardly atan area opposite the ends of the legs.

9. The machine of claim 8, and means for compacting the casing endincluding a reciprocating frame and transversely spaced apart platescarried by the frame, the

` fastener bending and indenting means being carried by and slidable inthe frame.

l0. In a machine for applying a fastener to a casing, means forcompacting the crimped end portion of a casing including a fixed partand a reciprocating part, means for feeding a fastener into thereciprocating part and in front of a driver, a driver reciprocating inandv relatively to the reciprocating part, the fixed part having lananvil cavity therein cooperating with the driver to bend the fastenerinto a ring around and in outward spaced relation to the compactedcasing end, and an indenter reciproctaing in and relatively to thedriver sufficiently to indent the ring and thereby to secure thefastener immovably around the compacted casing end.

11. The machine of claim l0, air controlled means for operating thecompacting means, the driver and the indenter, a hopper for fasteners,and au air conduit between the air-controlled operating means and thehopper t agitate the fasteners by an air blast through the conduit, thefastener feeding means including a fixed chute leading from the hoppertoward the driver.

l2. In a machine for applying a fastener to a casing, means forcompacting the end portion of a crimped casing, means for arrangingU-shaped fasteners in a row and for feeding the fasteners, means foradvancing a fastener and for bending the fastener into a tightly closedring around and in spaced relation to the compacted end portion of thecasing and for maintaining the ring closed, means for indenting the ringsufficiently to secure the fastener against movement on the compactedend portion, the compacting means comprising a reciprocating frame and acooperating member, the fastener bending means comprising a drivercarried by and reciprocating in the frame, the indenting meanscomprising an indenter carried by and reciprocating in the driver, and aspring interposed between the indenter and the driver to cause operationof the driver and the indenter as a unit until the resistance of thespring is overcome.

13. In a machine for applying a fastener to a casing, means forcompacting the end portion of a crimped casing, means for arrangingU-shaped fasteners in a row and for feeding the fasteners, means foradvancing a fastener and for bending the fastener into a tightly closedring around and in spaced relation to the compacted end portion of thecasing and for maintaining the ring closed, means for indenting the ringsuiciently to secure the fastener against movement on the compacted endportion, the compacting means and the bending means being movablerelatively to each other, and means to adjust the amount of the relativemovement of the compacting means and the bending means. i

14. The machine of claim 13, the indenting meanscomprising areciprocating indenter having a convex end edge, and means to adjust thedepth of the indent made by the indenting means.

15. Inl a machine for applying a U-shaped sheet metal fastener to thecrimped end portion of a fragile casing, a fixed anvil having a U-shapedcavity therein comprising outwardly diverging sides joined at the innersthereof by an arcuate end wall, a driver having a concavely rounded endwall, means for reciprocating the driver toward and from the anvilthereby to bend the diverging sides of a fastener into the arcuate formof the arcuate end wall of the anvil, and an indenter having a convexlyrounded end edge reciprocating in and relatively to the driver.

16. In a machine for applying a fastener to a fragile casing, means forcompacting theend portion of the casing, meansfor advancing around thecasing a U-shaped fastener having a pair of legs joined by a connectingarcuate bend, fixed anvil means engaging the end portions of the legs ofthe fastener on the advance of the fastener to bendy and close said endportions of the legs into pressed end to end contact and into the formof the anvil bend to form a smooth closed circular ring, means forexerting increasing indenting pressure on the arcuate bend of thefastener to indent a circumferential middle part of said connecting bendbetween the side edges of the connecting bend convexly inwardly, andmeans for reciprocating the compacting means as well as the fastenervadvancing means and the indenting means inthe same direction and as aunit for part of each forward and backward stroke thereof.

17. In a machine for applying a fastener to a casing, means forcompacting the crimped end portion of a fragile casing, means forfeeding a U-shaped fastener having legs joined by a bend, to a positionaround and out of contact with the compacted end portion, meansincluding a fixed anvil for bending the legs into arcuate form and forclosing the fastener into a completely closed circular ring in which theend edges of the legs meet smoothly, means for reciprocating thecompacting means and the fastener closing means, and means for applyinggradually increasing pressure to the closed ring to indent the bend ofthe fastener convexly inwardly and to move the compacted casing towardthe meeting ends of the closed legs.

18. In a machine for applying a fastener to a casing, means forcompacting the end portion of a crimped casing, means for arrangingU-shaped fasteners having a pair of legs and a leg-connecting part, in arow and for feeding the fasteners, means movable relatively to thecornpacting means for advancing a fastener and for bending the fastenerinto a tightly closed circular ring around and in spaced relation at theforward part thereof to the compacted end portion of the casing and` formaintaining the ring closed and with the end edges of the legs thereofin contact with each other, and means for indenting the leg-connectingpart of the fastener convexly inwardly substantially to eliminate theinitial space between the closed ring and such compacted end portion forsecuring the fastener against movement on the compacted end portion.

References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 704,098Pickles July 8, 1902 819,466 Stande May l, 1906 1,756,605 Priest Apr.29, 1930 2,585,807 MacKechnie Feb. 12, 1952 2,729,263 Tipper Ian. 3,1956 2,769,978 Berluti Nov. 13, 1956 2,812,628 Russell et al. Nov. 12,1957 2,879,512 Tipper Mar. 31, 1959 2,886,816 Hill May 19, 1959

